Ink-ribbon mechanism.



No.662,805. Patented Nov. 27, I900. S. A. NEIDICH.

INK RIBBON MECHANISM.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOH:

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No. 662,805. Patented Nov. 27. I900. S. A. NEIDICH.

INK RIBBON MECHANISM.

(Applicatioh filed Sept. 6, 1900. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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SAMUEL A. NEIDICH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

lNK RIBBON MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,805, dated.November 27, 1900. Application filed September 65,1900 Serial No.29,155. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. NEIDIOH, of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInk-Ribbon Mechanism, whereof the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to printing devices of the class described inLetters Patent of the United States No. 655,985, granted to me underdate of August 14, 1900, wherein an inkribbon is longitudinally shiftedstep by step between the type-form of a press and the platen opposedthereto. As such devices have been hitherto constructed and arranged anink-ribbon is fully charged with ink before insertion in the device,which ribbon is reinked or renewed only when the ink is completelyexhausted from it by a succession of impressions. It is characteristicof such known devices that the first impressions from the ribbon aredarker in color than the succeeding impressions, which become lighterand lighter until the life of the ribbon is ended.

It is the object of my present invention to provide means to uniformlyreink the ribbon contemporaneously with the subtraction of ink from itby the successive impressions, and thereby secure a product having auniformity of coloring not hitherto attainable and also permit thecontinued use of the ribbon without removal from the press until itsfabric is actually worn out.

My invention consists of mechanism applicable to an ordinaryprinting-press and comprises feed-rollers arranged to respectivelysupport the opposite extremities of an inkribbon in invariable relationwith the typeform, means to intermittently feed the inkribbon in thedirection of its length between the type-form in the press and theplaten opposed thereto, and means to alternately separate the medialportion of said ink-ribbon from said type-form and thrust it against theface thereof, the ink-ribbon being so arranged with respect to the pressthat the inking-rollers of the latter may traverse and directly ink thetype-form while the ribbon is separated from it.

My invention also comprehends certain details of constructionhereinafter more definitely specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of aprinting-press, showing a convenient embodiment of my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, but showing thepartsin another position. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe ribbon-doft'er shown in Figs. 1 and and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 showdetails of construction of the ribbon-feed rollers.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the main frame of an ordinaryprinting-press, in which is mounted the driving-shaft B, provided withthe band-wheel Z2 and pinion b, the latter gearing with the cam-wheel Cand serving to rotate it. The eccentric stud c upon said wheel 0 isoperatively connected by the link 0 with the stud 6 upon the bed E torock said bed upon its fulcrum e in the frame A, and the platen D isgiven the proper movement by the rock-arm D, whose rollerd is engaged inthe cam-groove c of the cam C. The chase E, containing the type-form Eis secured upon the bed E. The to-and-lfro motion of the bed E, impartedto it by the link G, &c., is transformed into oscillatory motion of theroller-frame F, concentric with said stud e, said frame F beingpivotally connected at g with the roller-arm G, whose opposite extremityis pivoted at g upon the fixed frame A. g

The ordinary inking disk H is mounted upon the bracket h of the bed Eand intermittently rotated by the pawl-lever I, pivoted at h on saidbracket, said lever being rocked by the engagement of its roller dwiththe facefof the frame F.

The above-described parts of an ordinary printing-press are notessential features of my invention, but serve to actuate and cooperatewith my improved mechanism, comprising the ribbon-feed rollersJand K,mounted upon the bed E, respectively above and below the chase E, andarranged to intermit: tently shift the ribbon Lacross the face of thetype E as follows: The roller K is arranged to be rotated step by stepby the pawl-lever it, which is connected by the link K with thedisk-lever I above described, the parts being so arranged that thedesired oscillatory motion is imparted to said pawl-lever It while theparts are shifting from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown inFig. 2. It is to be understood, however, that the ribbon L may beintermittently shifted by suitable connection with any movable member ofthe press other than the lever I.

I find it convenient to employ a ribbon-feed roller of the constructionclaimed in the Letters Patent aforesaid and here shown in Figs. 4 and 5,wherein the feed-roller K is mounted for rotation upon cone-bearings Kfixed in the respectively opposite sides of the bed E. The pawl-lever 7cis fixed upon the pawl-disk 70, which is loosely mounted upon the shank70 of the bearing K and carries the pawl 70 in position to engage theratchet-wheel 70 which is alsoloosely mounted upon said shank. The lug kof the wheel 76 is adapted for engagement in the slot 70 of thebearing-plate k on the roller K. i

It is to be understood that the parts above described are so relatedthat when the bed E and platen D swing apart, as indicated in Fig. 2,the ink-ribbon L is unrolled from the roller J and rolled upon theroller K an extent equal to the rotary action of the pawl k upon theratchet 7c. The progression of the ribbon L serves to present a freshportion of its surface for each succeeding imprint of the press.

In order that the ribbon L may be separated from the face of thetype-form E during its longitudinal progression aforesaid to permit theordinary inking-rollers F to directly ink the face of the type, I mountthe roller J some distance in front of the chase E and extend the ribbonL from said roller J to the roller K around the doffer-frame M, whichcomprises the upper rock-shaft m and lower rod m, maintained in fixedrelation by the end bars m m Said rock-shaft m is mounted in thebrackets e of the bed E,which brackets comprise abutments e arranged tolimit the downward movement of said dofferframe by contact with thestuds m*, which project from the bars 7% m Said doffer M is normallymaintained in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the springs m which extendfrom the studs m to said brackets 6 The parts last described are soarranged that when the springs m are free to swing the doffer-frame Mdownwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 the ribbon L is drawn tautbetween the roller J and the rock-shaft m, and said ribbon isseparatedfrom the face of the type E a distance sufficient to permit the traverseof the inking-rollers F over the face of the typeform. When, however,the bed E advances to the position shown in Fig. 1, the end bars m m ofthe doffer-frame M encounter the press-frame A at a, and saiddoffer-frame is swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, therebyslackening the ribbon L and permitting its medial portion to be thrustagainst the face of the type E as shown in said Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, an impression ismade from the typeform F. through the ribbon L upon the paper againstthe platen D. Thereafter the cam G continues to rotate in the directionof the arrow upon Fig. 2 and the bed and platen swing apart, as thereinshown. During the separating movement of the parts aforesaid the bed Ecarries the doffer-frame away from the corner a of the frame A and thesprings m are free to draw said doffer-frame down into the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the ribbon L is thereby drawn taut from theroller J to the rock-shaft m and in taut position is longitudinallyshifted a predetermined extent by the ratchet movement of the roller K.While the ribbon L is separated from the face of the type-form E asshown in Fig. 2, the ink-rollers F traverse down and up over the face ofthe type, directly inking the same. The bed E being again advanced bythe rotary traverse of the stud c, the inking-rollers F are shiftedupwardly out of the way, the doffer-frame M encounters the corner (t ofthe frame A, and the ribbon Lisslackened and again thrust against theface of the type E as shown in Fig. 1. The effect of the operationaforesaid is to make an impression from the type-form E through theribbon L upon a sheet of paper supported by the platen D and tocontemporaneously reink the ribbon in the precise outline of thetypeform and in the precise region of the ribbon from which the ink isremoved by the impression, thereby preserving the uniformlyinkedcondition of the ribbon. Moreover, the progression of the ribbon L inthe intervals between the successive impressions insures that duplicateimpressions shall not be made in precisely the same region of theribbon, and the ink received from the type-faces by the ink-ribon isevenly distributed upon the latter by capillary attraction of the ribbonfibers before the reinked portion of the ribbon is again presented forthe printing action, all of which features tend to uniformity ofcoloring in the product and economy of cost of production.

In view of the fact that the prior art comprises means for reinkingribbons whereby the ink is applied throughout the length and breadth ofthe ribbon irrespective of the region from which the impression is madein the following claims I shall specify means to reink the ribbon solelyin the region from which the impression is made, using that expressionas descriptive of the element of my invention by which theabove-described peculiar reinking operation is effected. It is to beunderstood, however, that by such use of the term solely I do not desireto preclude the employment of the novel combinations claimed inassociation with the aforesaid well-known devices of the prior art.

Although I prefer to employ the ribbondofiing mechanism in conjunctionwith mechanism arranged to directly ink the faces of the type, as beforedescribed, it is to be understood that said doffing mechanism is advantageousqJer so, in that before the ribbon is progressed it isseparated from the face of the type-form, and thereby saved from theabrasion incident to sliding contact with the faces of the type.

I am aware that it is old to employ a device the operation of whichconsistsin inking the type and making the impression through a fabric,such as bolting-cloth, which is interposed between the inked type andthe surface upon which the imprint is to be produced. However, suchprior devices do not comprise any means for progressing the fabricthrough which the impression is made, but on the contrary the successiveimprints are made through precisely the same region of said interposedfabric, which is therefore destroyed by comparatively few impressionsand the impressions made lack the uniformity of coloringcharacteristicof the product of my presentinvention. Therefore my present invention isdifferentiated from the prior art referred to in construction,operation, and result attained.

It is to be understood that the mechanism herein before described may beapplied to any ordinary form of printing-press. Therefore I do notdesire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofthe parts which I have illustrated, as it is obvious that variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy invention in accordance with the construct-ion of the press in whichsaid mechanism is to be embodied.

I claim- 1. In a printingpress, the combination with an ink-ribbon, ofmeans to intermitten tly progress said ribbon between the typeform ofsaid press and the platen opposed thereto, means to imprint from saidtype-form through said ink-ribbon, and means to reink said ribbon solelyin the region from which the impression is made, substantially as setforth.

2. In a printing-press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means tointermittently progress said ribbon between the typeform of said pressand the platen opposed thereto, means to im print from said type-formthrough said ink-ribbon, and means to contemporaneously reink saidribbon solely in the region from which the impression is made,substantially as set forth.

3. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means tointermittently progress said ribbon between the typeform of said pressand the platen opposed thereto, means to imprint from said type-formthrough said ink-ribbon, means to contemporaneously reink said ribbon inthe region from which the imprint is made, means to slacken said ribbonwhile the impression is being made, and means to tighten said ribbonafter the impression is made, substantially as set forth.

4. In a printingpress, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means tosupport the opposite extremities of said ribbon in invariable relationwith the type-form, means to imprint from said type-form through saidinkribbon, and means to contemporaneously reink said ribbon, solely inthe region from which the impression is made, substantially as setforth.

5. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, offeed-rollers mounted in invariable relation with the type-form of saidpress, and arranged to respectively support the extremities of saidribbon, means to intermittently progress said ribbon between thetype-form and the platen opposed thereto, by rotation of saidfeed-rollers, means to im print from said type-form through saidinkribbon, and means to contemporaneously reink said ribbon solely inthe region from which the impression is made, substantially as setforth.

6. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means toextend said ribbon between the type-form of the press and the platenopposed thereto, means to alternately slack'en and tighten said ribbon,means to imprint from said type-form through said ribbon when slackened,and means to intermittently shift said ribbon when tightened,substantially as set forth.

7. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means toi11termittently progress said ribbon between the typeform of said press,and the platen opposed thereto, and means to tighten said ribbon duringits progression and slacken said ribbon when at rest, substantially asset forth.

8. In a printing press, the combination with an ink-ribbon, of means tointermit tently progress said ribbon between the type form of said pressand the platen. opposed.

thereto, means to tighten said ribbon during its progression and slackensaid ribbon when at rest, comprising a doffer-frame, and means tooscillate said frame, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL A. NEIDIOH. Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. PAIGE, E. L. FULLERTON.

